Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1887-10-12
CHAPTER II.

I'll d lllble COOI bulS cN6HluSs
eyes, decidedly. Was business good
to-dayp"
"Pretty fair p
After this we maintained rigid
silence. We heard high voices in the
next room, and presently the absentees
returned with faces like thunder
cloud, when the following remarks en-
rued:
Alice: appeal to you, Mr.. Brown,
to exonerate me from this gentleman's
insulting charge of secret communi.
catien with you!
Myself: / exonerate you from in.
territorial guilt, Miss Alice, but cannot
imagin why, if you care so much for
"this gentleman's'' opinion, you should
have addressed me as you did.
Alice I never addressed you!
My wife (sarcastically): o, no,
never
Jerry Just hear that! he doesn't
deny it @, what perfidy
Alice: You talk of perfidy You
(Weeps).
Jerry: She has the hardihood to ac-
cuse me of carrying on Irritation
with your wife, as if such an idea ever
entered my head
NY wife: She accused me indeed
After her carrying On with my husband!
/: What do you mean
Wife: Oh, don't affect such inno-
cence; you know we'll enough!
I: know one thing that it is not
very creditable to you, or you either,
sir Z!
Jerry: What you too suspect me
This is too much
l: I regret to say more than sus.
pect you. I have positive proof o!
what 1 say.
Alice: So have l. Oh, you mon.
ster
My wife: have proofs, too!
Jerry: You are entirely mistaken,
I: am not
My wife: And +, poor fool, was SO
happy; and believed in you so!
Alice: I thought you were the soul
of honor!
Jerry: / have lost all faith In
womanhood!
1: Who would have believed it OF
her! q ~
Alice: I am perfectly innocent!
My wife: 1 never said word to any
one that / wouldn't scream from the
house top!
Jerry: never gave even thought
to any one but her!
1: I emphatically deny anything
clandestlne!
My wife: Your denials go for moth
ing, you perfdious wretch!
|. Alice (to Jerry): Base creature!
II Ito my wife): False woman!
Jerry (to meg: Treacherous friend!
My wife Ito Alice): Deceitful mink!
Alice Ito her): Contemplate thing!
Ito jerry: Dishonorable scoun-
drel!
Jerry 0o Alice): Cruel girl!
Both women weep; myself and Jerry
face the floor.
Jerry (pausing abruptly: Look here,
there must be some mistake; every one
of us four is suspecting and accusing
the other. Let's try and unrayel
the mystery. Tom, will you kindly in
form me what reason you have for sus-
pecting me of secret communication
with your wifep
I: If you will be good enough to
let me know what excuse you have for
supposing that [, married man, was
flirting with your sweetheart! (Ladies
look up).
Alice: And should like to hear, if
ii is not too much trouble, on what
grounds / am accused of tickle conduct
with Tom!
My wife: would make the same re-
quest of my husband, with reference to
the other gentleman.
I: Well, if you are SO innocent, I
have arrived at my conclusions by
means Of q.
Jerry: / obtained my information
through the reliable and incorruptible
testimony of my own cars and-
Both together: The telephonel
All pause and stare at one another.
(We men laugh; ladies begin to
weep again.
+: ltseems, then, that the telephone
has been engaged in the nefarious BUSH
ness Of defamlng eyerybody's charac-
ter.
Jerry: That's the i way it looks
cheer up, all, we may be happy yet!
Ny dear Alice, viii you inform me ais
to the source Of your suspicious? Was
itnot also the telephoneP